What does getting pre-approved mean to a first time home buyer? It means talking to (preferably sitting down) with a mortgage person. You want to bring your last two years tax returns or w-2's with you.
The mortgage person will ask you questions:

about how much you make a year?

where have you been living?,

are you paying rent?,

if so how by check?, by cash?,

how long you have on the job?,

how much savings you have?,

how many other bills do you have?,

how much do they add up to?,

the price range of house you would like to buy?,

how much do you want to put down?,

who is going to be on the loan?,

how big of a payment you want to have?.

They will take the time to pull your credit and look at it. The important things on your credit report is your 3 credit scores, the amount of debt you have, and your actual credit. How many lines of credit do you have, are you paying them on time, do you have any collections?
These are all things a mortgage person looks at.
But do not be scared. There are many people who think and have thought they would never qualify for a house and they own one now. Many people are approved to buy a home with little or no money down. You have to take the time to pre-approved and pre-qualified. Call me at (313) 310-9855 to get pre-approved for a mortgage or go to my website www.russravary.com